The present invention relates to a mirror diagonal that has reduced weight and accordingly lower manufacturing cost. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the weight-reduced mirror diagonal.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are assembled and exploded perspective views, respectively, of a conventional mirror diagonal 10. As shown, the conventional mirror diagonal 10 mainly includes a body 11, a seat 12, a first tube 13, a second tube 14, and a reflection mirror 15. The body 11 is provided with a first and a second internally threaded hole 111, 112. The seat 12 is provided at predetermined positions with a plurality of mounting holes 121, so that the seat 12 is connected to a bottom of the body 11 by threading screws 122 through the mounting holes 121 into the body 11. The reflection mirror 15 is adhered to a top of the seat 12.
FIGS. 7 and 8 are top and sectioned side views, respectively, of the conventional mirror diagonal 10.
Please refer to FIGS. 7 and 8. The first tube 13 is screwed into the first threaded hole 111 provided on the body 11, and the second tube 14 into the second threaded hole 112.
FIG. 5 shows the manner of manufacturing the body 11 for the conventional mirror diagonal 10. The body 11 is made by cutting a long bar of solid aluminum material 30 into a plurality of small sections 31, which are individually processed in predetermined manners to form a plurality of aluminum prisms 32 having two slant faces. The aluminum prisms 32 are then properly processed, including drilling and tapping on the two slant faces.
Researches in astronomical field have been quickly developed since Rene Descartes invented the coordinate geometry. Today, amateur astronomical observers and the general public have played important roles in astronomical observation, and different grades of mirror diagonals are easily available in the market. However, from careful studies of the components forming the existing mirror diagonals, one would surprisingly find too much material is unnecessarily used to produce the mirror diagonals.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a mirror diagonal that is manufactured with less material and therefore has reduced overall weight and manufacturing cost.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mirror diagonal having reduced overall weight and accordingly reduced manufacturing cost.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing mirror diagonal to reduce an overall weight and manufacturing cost thereof.
The method of the present invention for manufacturing a weight-reduced mirror diagonal mainly includes the steps of: (a) preparing an extruded aluminum tube having a predetermined cross-sectional shape to provide a bottom and two slant faces; (b) cutting the extruded aluminum tube to provide a plurality of short sections having a desired length and two open lateral sides, so that each short section forms a housing for the mirror diagonal; (c) processing each housing in predetermined manners; (d) adhering a reflection mirror to the bottom in each housing; (f) sealing the two open lateral sides with two-sealing covers; and (g) mounting a first and a second tube in two tube mounting holes formed on the two slant faces of each housing.